Great Yarmouth

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Great Yarmouth

History What To Do Where To Stay

 History

The Genesis The Walls Golden Mile

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 The Genesis
In the beginning Great Yarmouth did not exist, as the soil on which it now stands was
still beneath the sea. The part of the coast was one huge estuary many times
longer than Breydon Water is today, stretching from Caister in the north, to Corton
in the South, and it flowed into the rivers now known as the Waveney and
Wensum.
When the Romans invaded Great Britain in around AD 43, one of the places which
provided the best views of this large expanse of water was at Burgh Castle, where
ships and land-based activities could be monitored from afar. The Romans realising
this decided to set up a fort in AD 250, and after many years it was abandon in AD
400.
By this time a sand bank had formed at the mouth of the estuary, and slowly it
became an island stretching for some 8 miles in a north-south direction. The
waters of this mighty estuary surged through two main channels and joined the
open sea at Caister and Corton. The northern channel known as "Grub’s Haven"
soon became choked with sand, and the river followed the southern outlet to the
sea. The peninsula formed now allowed Yarmouth to start its ascent as a
settlement.
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 The Genesis
Because the seas off Yarmouth’s coast were
teeming with herring, fishermen came
from far afield, and set up small
communities upon the sandbank, as it
provided a good base to dry their nets and
store the equipment. This then attracted
traders and businessmen selling the
necessities of life to the seafarers.
With many more people starting to move to
the town to live permanently Great
Yarmouth started to grow quite rapidly.
This expansion was confined to the area
around the harbour, as everyone who
lived in the town had interests in the fish.
The seamen did not care for the views of
the sea, as they wanted to get away from
the salt spray and the biting easterly
winds, which they faced everyday, and so
the buildings they constructed faced West.

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 The Genesis
Little else is known about Yarmouth’s growth as a settlement, but it was mentioned in
the Doomsday survey carried out in 1086, after William the Conqueror was anxious
to find out the extent of his kingdoms riches which he now owned. From the survey
Yarmouth had 70 burgesses, which was much less than Norwich with 665 burgesses,
Ipswich with 110, or Thetford, one of the most important towns in the Kingdom,
with 720.
Yarmouth was very different from other towns in the kingdom, as it was owned entirely
by the king, and not by a lord of the manor. Nevertheless, the same medieval dues
were demanded and each property owner paid to the king’s sheriff his share of the
Royal Exchequer. Taxes were also paid before a son could inherit or a marriage take
place. Tolls were paid before business could take place in the markets. Life was hard
in Yarmouth, but it was much easier than in the neighbouring agricultural districts.
By 1209 King John granted a charter which declared Yarmouth a “free borough forever”,
this was much to the relief of the townsfolk. Whilst other towns in the country had
been prospering from a laissez faire agreement, Yarmouth wasn’t, due to the
amount of taxes being paid and the law under which they lived.

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 The Genesis
The King, however, did not lose out from this action as he traded his rights in the town
for an annual fee-farm rent of £55, whereas previously his income from the town
had been approximately £40 per annum. The privileges which were bestowed
upon Yarmouth were of inestimable value. The handicap under which her
merchants laboured outside of the town were removed allowing them to sell there
wares elsewhere, and she was able to control markets in Yarmouth through her
merchants guild. The charter of 1209 not only allowed the town to be self-
governing but by granting responsibilities as well as privileges, created a sense of
unity. It was something of importance to be a Yarmouth man.

History>>
 The Walls
The townsfolk of Great Yarmouth were in a very exposed location, being within easy
reach of the sea, and in 1261 Henry III gave orders for the town to be enclosed by
a wall and moat to defend the town of possible invasion, but work was not to start
on the project until 24 years later.
The materials for these walls came from pebbles found lying on the beaches and local
flint, due to the shortage of building stone in the area. The construction of square
towers was out of the question, (except for one tower built for King Henry), as this
would have involved using stone for the corners, and so the rest of the towers
were built round.
The walls were 23 feet high and 2200 yards long and enclosed an area of 133 acres. It
seems likely that King Henry’s Tower in St. Nicholas Churchyard was the first tower
built and that wall, broken by no fewer than eight gates, was continued in a
southerly direction as far as Black Friars Tower, and at this point it turned through
a right angle to the river bank. Between Blackfriars Tower and the river the
principal entrance to the town, the South Gate, was erected.

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 The Walls
The coming of the Black death in 1349,
caused work on the wall to be
stopped, but its effect had passed off,
and work began again. This time the
walls were extended from King
Henry’s Tower across the northern
boundary of the churchyard and
across the road leading to Caister.
Here another main entrance to the
town, the imposing North Gate, was
erected, and there is reason for
believing that its two lofty square
towers and central portal were built
at the expense of those who had
become rich bury the dead during
the plague.

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 The Walls
The walls then extended to the River Bure and terminated with the Northwest Tower.
When the wall was finished a moat was dug all around it and Yarmouth was as
strongly a fortified town as one would expect to meet in the Middle Ages.
As the town was developing quite rapidly, some townsfolk decided to build up against
the town wall, due to the shelter that they provided, and in 1545 the Duke of
Norfolk, instructed by Henry VIII, ordered the immediate destruction of these
dwellings, as they compromised the defences of the town and looked an eyesore.
The rumour of a Spanish Armada spread, and Elizabeth (the current monarch) was so
convinced of the importance of a fortified Yarmouth that she compelled Norwich,
Norfolk, and Suffolk to pay large sums of money towards the repair of the walls,
whilst she herself despatched supplies of gunpowder and arms. Several cannon
were strategically placed on a mound of earth higher than the wall itself, which
was raised to the West of the South Gate, from this position the river could be
commanded.

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 The Walls
Once peace was declared, Charles I ordered an inspection to be made of the defences
in 1625, and to his astonishment found that the walls were in a very bad state. He
then asked for the walls to be strengthened once again, with an additional thirty
cannon.
When the civil war began the town declared for parliament and those suspected of
royalist activities were locked in the towers. The town gates were kept locked,
drawbridges were raised, the moats deepened and a watch kept from the walls.
The defences were being manned, however, for the last time, and when the war was
over they were allowed to fall into decay - this time forever.

History>>
 The Golden Mile
The land outside of the walls of Great Yarmouth was called the Denes, and was used
for the grazing of cattle, public hangings and for the fishermen to spread out their
nets to dry. So established was the use, that King Edward I stipulated that no more
than five windmills were to be built on the Denes, lest it interfere with the fishing.
This policy continued until 1750, when Doctor Russell’s report promoting sea water as
a health remedy was published, which put seaside towns ‘in vogue’. This new
fashion for the upper classes of society resulted in three new wells being sunk in
the Denes close to the seashore, for the medicinal seawater, in addition to the
wells already there to cater for the townsfolk. Entrepreneurs seeing that there was
money to be made in this phenomena, started exploiting these wells, and in 1759
a Bath house was built. It used a system of horse mills to raise the seawater at
every tide into reservoirs, from where it was then distributed by pipes into the
baths. A charge was made for the use of the facilities, and although it was not
cheap, high attendances were recorded everyday.

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 The Golden Mile
Nearly opposite this Bath house was a
Jetty, which had been there since 1560,
and was built to provide a landing stage
for the increasing number of vessels
using the port of Great Yarmouth. After
being swept away and rebuilt a couple
of times, one was finally rebuilt in 1808
extending 456 feet into the sea, and a
Guide to Great Yarmouth published in
1817 described it as “ A most interesting
walk, as the cool refreshing sea breezes
which are equally enjoyed here, as they
are at sea.” Soon after this, small
boarding houses were being built to
house the drones of visitors who wanted
a piece of this healthy atmosphere.

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 The Golden Mile
Now because of the unrest in Europe with fears of Napoleon Bonapart, and with a fair
amount of military officers in Great Yarmouth, it was decided that the Denes was as
good a place as any to practice military manoeuvres. In 1809 a Royal Naval Hospital
was built on the Denes, which was later incorporated into the Militia Barracks.
Even after the first rush of the people wanting Dr. Russell’s remedies, the Denes were
still largely undeveloped, not because of lack of funds or interest, but because of fear
expressed by wealthy tradesmen. They were worried that the shopping centre might
move away from the market place, located in the centre of the walled town, and so
destroying their businesses. As a result, they influenced the Corporation into creating
a resolution in 1810, that restricted the types of buildings that could be constructed
on the Denes. The rules that were laid down stated, that no buildings should be
higher than 20 feet and that they should not be let as shops or public houses, and
that the leases could be held for no longer than 21 years. This had the effect that the
Tradesmen wanted, in that it virtually brought the building on the Denes to a
standstill, with only a few houses built here and there.

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 The Golden Mile
• In 1810 the officers in the Barracks decided that they wanted to race their horses
on a proper track, and so they constructed a race course on the Denes. These
races were well known drawing together the fashionable personages of all the
neighbouring districts and also increased the popularity of the town when family
and friends of the officers came to visit, which helped to promote Great Yarmouth
as a fashionable resort. After the Battle of Waterloo, in 1819, a Monument
commemorating the work of Lord Nelson was constructed in the middle of the
race course, standing some 144 feet tall. Even though this was taller than the
resolution passed, it was felt that it was not offensive to the tradesmen.
• During the middle of the 19th Century, the passing of the Municipal Corporations
Act saw the reversal of the ‘tradesmen’s’ policy, and the Denes began to assume
something of their present day aspect. The Royal Hotel was constructed and
opened in 1840, replacing a small house and garden, which at its time, used to be
the last building southwards on the seafront.
• What was to become the present Marine Parade was still only a dirt track.

History>>
 What To Do

Sea-Life Centre Pleasure Beach Market Gates

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 The Sea-Life Centre
The magical marine world of Great
Yarmouth SEA LIFE Centre will
introduce you to many beautiful and
fascinating creatures of the deep. 
Prepare for astonishing close views of
everything from humble starfish to
mighty sharks and giant sea turtles,
all in displays which carefully recreate
their natural habitats.

Explore a rich variety of underwater

environments, from rugged coastline
to tropical coral, reefs, from the
sandy shallows to the dark depths of
the ocean.  At every step there are
different amazing creatures to find, to
watch and to learn about.  

What To Do>>
 The Pleasure Beach

Great Yarmouth Pleasure Beach is East

Anglia's most popular tourist
attraction, occupying a nine-acre
seafront location. 
The main park itself has over 20 large
rides as well as a crazy golf course,
water attractions, kiddie rides and
awe-inspiring white knuckle classics. 
In 2009 over 1.4 million people visited
the Pleasure Beach, putting it in the
top ten free entry amusement parks
in the UK.

What To Do>>
 Market Gates
With over 40 shops all under one roof,
Market Gates shopping centre offers
more choice for your shopping in
2010.
Bringing together some of the UK’s major
high street stores and local
independent shops to this vibrant
area of the Norfolk coastline, Market
Gates is the only place you need to
visit this year. With two floors of
shopping you will find something for
everyone.
Conveniently located next to the bus
station and offering over 470 car park
spaces, Market Gates links Great
Yarmouth’s seafront and town centre
and could not be more accessible.

What To Do>>
 Where To Stay

Guest Houses/B&B’s Hotels Caravanning/Camping

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 Guest Houses
Great Yarmouth has a wide variety of Guest
Houses And B&B’s mainly located around
the sea front .
The Bed& Breakfast and the guest
accommodations are available in all sizes
and shapes. These are usually run by the
resident proprietors. Generally they have
two to three rooms but there are places
where you can have more rooms too. They
also range from the simpler ones to the
luxurious ones giving you a wide range of
options. 
Here is a link to see the recommended Guest
Houses in Great Yarmouth - Click Here
Here is a link to see the recommended B&B’s
in Great Yarmouth - Click Here

Where To Stay>>
 Hotels
Great Yarmouth has a wide variety Luxery
Hotel mainly located around the sea
front .
Hotels in Great Yarmouth range from two
star to four star facilities. You can
expect in all sizes for a small or for a big
group. There are hotels which are run
authentically by families for years to
hotels run by famous chains of hotels.
All the hotels offer stunning sea views,
greater rooms with good aeration and
lighting, room service and often 24
hour room service. Great Yarmouth also
has the UK’s first five star Holiday
Village in Hopton - on – Sea.
Here is a link to see the recommended
Hotels in Great Yarmouth - Click Here

Where To Stay>>
 Caravaning/Camping
Great Yarmouth has a Luxery holiday park
mainly located around the sea front .
All over the Borough there are a huge
variety of holiday parks. The holiday
parks come with static caravans and
mobile homes or chalets with wide
range of facilities like licensed club
houses, indoor and outdoor children’s
play areas, swimming pools, on site
restaurants and entertainments.
There are also camping
and caravan parks which are perfect
for you to pull up and pitch your tent
or just park your caravan.
Here is a link to see the haven website -
Click Here

Where To Stay>>